


Expectations and Arrivals

by indevan



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Babies, Domestic Fluff, Family, Future Fic, M/M, Married Couple, Mental Health Issues, Pregnancy, Surrogacy, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 07:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6043921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indevan/pseuds/indevan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kasamatsu is perfectly happy being married to Kise.  Then Kise decides he wants a baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Expectations and Arrivals

Kasamatsu held Kise’s hand as they stood outside the door.  He rubbed his thumb over the ridges of his knuckles in an effort to calm him down.  It was no use, though.  Kise was almost bouncing up and down on the stoop.

“I’m going to get to see everyone and the baby--the baby, Yukiocchi!!!” he rubbed against him with his shoulder, smiling that dazzling smile that sold thousands of copies of magazines, once.

The door opened to reveal Furihata.  A harried-looking butler was behind him.  He glanced over his shoulder and grimaced.

“Sorry--I’m still not used to having help.” He turned back to them and smiled. “Hi, come in.”

He stepped aside to allow them entry and Kise immediately wrapped him up into a hug.

“Ooh, you look good,” he exclaimed. “And you’re flat again!”

Kasamatsu sighed and tugged on his sleeve.  Furihata, meanwhile, turned bright red.

“Well, I got clearance from my doctor to wear a binder again and we have a wet nurse…”

Kise broke the hug and patted Furihata’s stomach.

“You’re still a little chubby here,” he chirped, “it looks so cute on you.”

He somehow managed to blush more deeply as Kasamatsu seized the back of his husband’s shirt to drag him away.

“Sorry,” he said. “and thank you for having us, Furihata-kun.”

Still blushing, the other man managed to bow back.  He led them into what Kasamatsu figured was a sitting room of some kind.  Akashi’s house was ridiculous.  Kise had modeling money so they didn’t live that modestly but he was taken aback at the grandeur.

They were the last to arrive.  Kasamatsu spotted a few of Akashi’s former Rakuzan teammates and Furihata’s from Seirin but the majority were the friends he shared with Kise and he was glad.  He didn’t do too well with people he didn’t know.  Akashi sat in a flocked, leather couch, holding the baby.  The little one was asleep, crooked in his arm as he was, and already sported a full head of brown hair.

“Ooh, he looks like you,” Kise said, slinging an excited arm around Furihata’s shoulders.

“His eyes are red, though,” he replied, beaming despite his blush. “Just like Sei’s.”

Kise bounded over to where Akashi was sitting, already abuzz with excitement and not caring that he could probably wake the baby.

“What’s his name?” he asked.

“Kyou,” he replied, “written like with the symbol for apricot.  It was kind of a joke because I was addicted to them during my pregnancy but then we liked the name.”

“He’s beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

Kasamatsu left Furihata with one last pat to the shoulder and went to fetch his husband.  Akashi had, for some reason, allowed him to hold the baby.

“Support his head.”

Kise nodded and cradled him to his chest.  He looked down and smiled gently at Kyou’s sleeping face.  His eyes were half-closed, his dark, mascara’d lashes casting shadows on the crest of his cheekbones.  His lips were slightly pursed as he looked down in wonderment at something so small and so perfect.  Kasamatsu could hear his heartbeat in his ears and wondered, not for the first time, why someone so hot--no, Kise didn’t function in words like “hot,” it was more than that--took an interest in him.

He looked up and smiled, handing the baby back to Akashi.  The moment was over and he was back to bouncing around the room, greeting everyone else.  Kasamatsu did the greeting thing, nodding his head and smiling as people said hello to him.  He always felt a little on the outside.  He wasn’t a miracle or miracle adjacent.  Even Takao’s excitement over him from high school had waned over the years.  He was just Kasamatsu.  The average husband to the undisputed best looking of the Generation of Miracles.

He sat awkwardly on the couch by Akashi, eyeing the baby and wondered if he would be asked if he wanted to hold him.  He wasn’t good around babies or children or most people for that matter.  On the court, he could seize command but any other time, he was kind of screwed.  Furihata came to sit between them, blocking his view of Kyou and drawing from him a sigh of relief.

“Have you gotten anything to eat?” Akashi asked his husband. “The caterers are very good.”

“I know they are, Sei,” he said with a laugh. “They’re your friends.”

That was right.  Kise had told him that Murasakibara and Kagami had gone into business together as caterers while Himuro ran the business aspect.  They were apparently much sought after back in Los Angeles.  Kise had tried to get them to cater their wedding but since he had also wanted a Disney World “dream wedding,” the food had been provided by them.

“Well, have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

Akashi frowned.

“What?”

“I’m just worried that you’re not getting enough to eat, is all.”

Kasamatsu shifted nervously on the couch.  He didn’t really need to be privy to this conversation but getting up now would draw attention.

“Sei, I ate like a pig for nine months.  I’m fine.”

“You know I worry.”

They leaned in and kissed.

“I’m going to put Kyou down,” Furihata said, “Go talk to your friends.”

They kissed once more and he got up off of the couch, this time carrying the baby.  Kasamatsu took that as his cue to get up and find Kise.  At least he could hover behind him while he was talking to people.

He was, of course, talking to Kuroko who was flanked by both Aomine and Kagami.  Kasamatsu came and put his arm around Kise’s waist as he gushed about whatever the three of them were up to.

“Do you like L.A., Kurokocchi?” he asked.

“It’s different but I’m used to it,” he said quietly, sipping white wine from a glass. “We just moved to a new place in Santa Monica.”

Aomine smirked and said, “Thanks to me.”

He mimed shooting a basketball, referring to his position on the Lakers.

“And that million dollar wedding Tai-kun catered,” Kuroko said, taking another sip.

“It’s nicer than our place in Silver Lake even if it’s more tourist-y,” Kagami said. “But it’s by the beach, which is what I wanted.”

Kise nodded and Kasamatsu nodded with him.  Los Angeles was ridiculous.

“Tai-kun loves surfing,” Kuroko explained. “And we like watching him surf.”

He and Aomine shared a smile.

“I wanna learn,” Kise said, eyes shining. “Show me once, Kagamicchi, and I’ll go surfing with you.”

“Uh, sure, Kise.”

The pattern continued as Kasamatsu followed his husband around the room as he flitted from conversation to conversation.  Eventually, Kise just cuddled up with Takao and Himuro on one of the couches.  Kasamatsu then stood awkwardly with Midorima and Murasakibara.

“So, uh, how’s L.A.?” he asked, taking a cue from Kise.

Murasakibara shrugged and took a drink from his glass of moscato. “Fine.”

“The food is really good.”

“Thanks.” He paused and then shrugged. “Kaga-chin cooks the food--I do desserts.”

“Oh.  I’m sure those are also good.”

Midorima snorted a laugh into his plate.  Kasamatsu sighed.  He looked at Kise whose head was ducked conspiratorially with the other two and wondered what they were talking about.  Takao was drinking something dark in a thick tumbler and kept making sour faces with every sip.

“Shin-chan?” He held the glass up.

Midorima sighed and came to fetch the glass.  He exchanged it with his glass of wine and Takao began eagerly drinking it.  Kasamatsu shifted his weight from foot to foot until he realized that Kise wasn’t coming up soon so he meandered back to the couch where Akashi was talking to his former teammates.

“I want a baby, Ei-chan,” Mibuchi gushed, clinging to his arm.

Nebuya rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

“We’ll, uh, talk about it, Reo.”

Hayama was bouncing up and down on the couch and Izuki was behind him, arms around his waist as he tried to hold him down.

“Kyou will have to come play with Kichirou!” he exclaimed.

“Kotarou, shh.”

Akashi nodded, chuckling lightly.  Furihata was back as well, tucked under his husband’s arm and smiling.  Kasamatsu walked away again.  He really was on the outside.  He wasn’t anyone’s teammate except Kise’s.  He had no connections with anyone else here.  No matter how much time he spent with the miracles, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider.

He went to get himself a glass of wine and maybe one of the little cakes Murasakibara made.  He walked slowly, hoping to waste some time before they would be able to leave.

Tuxedoed waitstaff was waiting at the buffet table, holding bottles of wine and serving utensils.  Kasamatsu was impressed.  All this for a little get together?

“Dessert or main course?”

“Um...dessert.”

Immediately he was handed a plate laden with little cakes and a glass of wine the waiter assured him paired with the dessert.  He took his meal over to stand awkwardly by where Hyuuga and Kiyoshi were arguing over something.

“Yukiocchi?”

He looked up to see Kise smiling sweetly at him.

“What?”

“You looked lonely.”

“I’m not a party person.”

Kise nodded and tucked in next to him.  He plucked a petit four off of his place and popped it into his mouth.

“Mm, Murasakibaracchi really knows his way around flavor profiles,” he said, sounding like a judge on a food competition. “Watch this.”

He turned towards where his former teammate was still standing behind the couch.

“Murasakibaracchi, is this fondant?”

Kasamatsu watched as his face darkened and he could feel an almost sinister aura surrounding him.  Himuro shot Kise a look but he couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

“Fondant is lazy and disgusting,” he said with a low growl.

Kise giggled and put his head on Kasamatsu’s shoulder.

“See?”

He shook his head and ate a cookie off of his plate.

“Do you wanna go, Yukiocchi?”

“Stay with your friends for a while longer.  I’ll be alright.”

Kise lifted his face to kiss him and nuzzled against his neck.

“If you’re sure.”

He nodded and watched Kise dash off back to the couch where Himuro and Takao were.  He sipped his wine and listened to whatever it was Hyuuga was yelling about.  Even with his assurance, he felt profoundly left out.

\--

Kise was strangely quiet on the train ride home.  He sat with him, hands on his knees and his gaze barely focused.  He wondered if he had tired himself out socializing but Kise could go hours upon hours being social.

“You alright?” he asked.

Kise shrugged and tapped his foot impatiently.

“I want to get home.”

He kept up the routine as they got to their apartment.  He stepped out of his shoes and hung his coat up on the hook.  Kise followed suit, although it was more like he was going through the motions.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

Kise sank down on the couch and flicked his earring nervously.

“I want a baby.”

Kasamatsu rolled his lips in and sighed.  He should have been expecting that.  He saw how excited Kise got over Kyou.  He sat down next to him and stroked a hand through his hair.

“Ryouta…”

Kise drew his legs up and bit his lip.

“I mean it.  I want a baby.”

“You held a baby for five minutes and now you want one?”

That came out more harshly than he meant and he winced.

“I’ve wanted one for a while,” he said, “when we were on our honeymoon and saw all the kids in the parks.  I...I want a baby and I want one with you.”

Kise pulled himself up onto Kasamatsu’s lap and stroked his hair with both hands.

“I want it to be yours,” he purred.

“You can’t have a baby, Ryouta.”

“I know but when we do a surrogate or whatever.  I want it to be yours.”

Kasamatsu’s head spun.  This was happening too fast.  Kise not only wanted a baby, he wanted  _ his _ baby.  He wanted some bushy-browed baby with circulation problems.  He wanted to say something but he was cut off with a kiss.

Kise pushed his suit jacket off and began unbuttoning his shirt.  He kissed every bit of skin he revealed, nuzzling his nose on his chest.  Kasamatsu let out a moan.

They were wearing far fewer clothes when he decided to mount his next protest.

“Why me?” he asked.

Kise, now wearing only his briefs, pouted.

“I don’t want it to be me,” he said, “Just you.”

He couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t.  Kise was gorgeous.  Everyone in his family was gorgeous.  He ducked down and kissed Kise on the inside of the thigh.  He scooped him up into his arms and carried him off into the bedroom.  If Kise was determined to have a baby, that was fine.  Maybe he could get used to that part.  He just had to get this notion of it being his out of his head.

\--

Kise worked fast.  Two days later, Kasamatsu came home from the recording studio where he worked--both as a sound tech and a session musician--to find him poring over manila envelopes on their bed.

“What is this?”

He looked up and smiled broadly.

“Surrogates!” he exclaimed.

“Already?”

“Mhmm!”

Kise hummed happily.  He sat on the bed wearing a shirt from one of the bands Kasamatsu had played with and a pair of cotton briefs.  Normally the sight would get his heart rate up but now he was just nervous.  Kise was serious about this, then.

He sat next to him and put an arm around him.

“You really want this, huh?”

Kise nodded.

“I told you.  Seeing Kyou just confirmed it.” He flipped through one woman’s folder and pursed his lips. “Ooh, she played basketball!”

Kasamatsu bit his lip and glanced down at the woman’s file.

“Why me?”

Kise pretended not to listen.  He flicked between the papers, keeping the paperclip in his mouth as he leafed through it.

“Ryouta…”

“We can go check your count in a few days,” he said.  Next to him, buried amongst the folders, was Kise’s planner. “You have next Thursday off and I can make a call.”

“Ryouta.”

“Hmmm?”

Kasamatsu drew his fingers down his bare arm and frowned.

“Why me?”

Kise glanced up and let the paperclip fall from his mouth.

“Why you, what?” he asked, brow furrowing.

This was another one of those moments.  Where the light hit Kise in such a way where he looked so gorgeous that Kasamatsu was amazed that he was even allowed to touch him.  He shook his head and tried not to get distracted.

“Why me?” he repeated. “Why me for the father?”

Kise fiddled with the paperclip and glanced away.

“I want it to be yours,” he said, “a little baby that looks like you.”

He wasn’t lying but he wasn’t telling the whole truth.  Kasamatsu had been with Kise since his first year of university.  He knew him.

“But I’m so...average-looking,” he said, which was another issue he head.

“Yukiocchi!  You’re gorgeous!” Kise dramatically leaned over to drape his arms over him and kiss him. “You’re so handsome and buff and...and…”

He cut himself off by capturing Kasamatsu’s lips.  He knew by now that Kise was going to use sex as a weapon.  He kissed him back but then broke it off.  Gently, he stroked his hair back from his forehead.

“Ryouta,” he murmured. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Kise traced his finger down the curve of his face and then bit his lip.

“You are gorgeous,” he said, “No matter what you think.  But...it’s also…”

He splayed his hands on the folders and looked down.  Again, his hand crept up to flick his earring.  This was a sure tell.  Kise was always fidgety when he was nervous.

“What is it?”

“I’m bipolar,” he said, “and I’m...nervous.  About them going through what I go through.  And.  My family.”

Kasamatsu only knew of Kise’s family in passing and from photos.  He never really met them since Kise wasn’t close to them.  He knew he had two sisters where either one or both of them were models and that they weren’t very nice people.  His mother was a former Miss Universe contestant and his father was a barely spoken of mystery.

“Alcoholism runs in my family,” he said. “My mom, dad, my uncles...they’re all alcoholics.  Some more than that.  And I know that it could be me and that’s why I barely drink.  I’m...I’m just scared.  I don’t want to put that on a kid.”

Kasamatsu stroked his hair.  That was it, then.

“Akashi had that fear, too,” he said. “If he was a carrier for his mother’s cancer.”

“That’s not the same,” he said sharply and then his face softened. “and, more than that, I want it to be you.”

He was still on that, too.  Kasamatsu bit his lip.  He looked at Kise’s face, at how his lips were teased into a slight pout.  He really did want this.  He really wanted this and Kasamatsu was always bad at denying Kise anything.

\--

It only took a few short weeks for them to meet with their prospective surrogate.  She was Kise’s age and had played basketball in high school.  They met her at a café for lunch and she was waiting there for them when they arrived.

She was pretty, Kasamatsu thought, and he knew he would be unable to properly speak to her.  It had been years and he still froze up around women.  It was one of the many reasons he was glad he and Kise had gotten together.  Surprisingly, she sported a riot of blond curls that didn’t look dyed.  Kise smiled as they sat down.

“Hi, Yurigasaki-chan, I hope you weren’t waiting long,” he said with a smile.

“Not long at all,” she assured them.

She smiled widely but her hands were shaking.

“Sorry,” she said, ducking her head a little. “I’m just--you’re Kise Ryouta!”

Kise tossed his head and ran his fingers through his hair, giving her a wink and a dazzling smile.  Kasamatsu rolled his eyes.

“You were my favorite of the Generation of Miracles,” she continued and then blushed. “Oh, that’s embarrassing.”

Kise flapped a hand. “Not at all.  I’m no one’s favorite so that’s nice to hear.”

That wasn’t true but Kise seemed to believe it.  Maybe it was because Kasamatsu had seen all the girls who had come to their practices to cheer his name.  Then again, that had nothing to do with his actual talent.

“I had a similar ability,” she said, “in my high school and when I heard about your Perfect Copy, I was floored.  That is so cool.  Plus, you also had yellow eyes and that made me feel normal.”

Kise was lapping it up but the girl seemed genuine.  Kasamatsu hadn’t noticed her eyes when they sat down but they were indeed yellow.  They weren’t quite the patinaed gold of Kise’s but they were close.

“And being a model doesn’t hurt,” he added with a self-effacing wink.

“Oh, right.” She laughed. “I forgot about that part.”

He pouted a bit, obviously put out, but Kasamatsu squeezed his knee under the table.  It was all he could do at this point.  The close proximity to Yurigasaki-chan was making him blush.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I...well, I’m not interested in boys so I never really looked at anything you were in,” she explained.

They talked for a bit more as the waiter came to take their order.  Yurigasaki-chan explained that she and her girlfriend were going to be looking into surrogacy themselves but thought that they would “give it a try” as it was to help another couple before they decided whether or not it was truly for them.

“Seems like a lot of effort,” Kise said.

She shrugged. “It was Hotaru’s idea but I’m excited.  Especially that it’s going to be my basketball hero’s.”

“Ah, actually, it’ll be my husband’s.” Kise turned his hand out in a gesture. “I have...health problems.  In my family.”

He flashed another dazzling smile.

“Oh…” Her gaze dimmed for a moment before she brightened up again. “Wait--your file said you were Kasamatsu Yukio.  The one from Kise-kun’s team?”

He nodded.

“Whoa!  You were one of the best point guards in the last decade!” she exclaimed. “Second only to Akashi Seijurou of the Generation of Miracles.”

Personally, Kasamatsu would have argued that Takao was a better point guard than he was but far be it from him to turn down a compliment.  When their lunch was over, Kise was already calling the clinic to set up their appointment, leaving him with Yurigasaki-chan.  He stood next to her awkwardly, feeling a blush heat his face.

“You’re a man of few words,” she said with a wry smile that reminded him too much of Kise. “I’m glad I can help you both out.”

Before he could try to think of a response, Kise reappeared with a broad grin on his face.

“It’s all set!  Next Tuesday.”

They said their good-byes and they left for their station.  Kasamatsu felt his embarrassment ebb away.  He was surprised that they had picked one so soon but that was Kise.  He saw what he wanted and he got it.  He linked their hands together and swung them as they walked.

“She’s so sweet,” he said as they walked. “I like her.”

“Of course you do.  She’s a blond small forward with yellow eyes and a lot of energy.  She’s a girl you.”

“She’s even gay,” he giggled.  Kise sighed happily and rested his head on Kasamatsu’s shoulder. “Thank you, Yukiocchi.  This is amazing.”

He gave his hand a comforting squeeze.  Kise was far more into public displays of affection than he was.

“Should we tell the others?”

“Maybe let’s wait until we actually go through with it and she’s actually pregnant.”

“Good point.”

Kise sighed again and seemed suddenly downcast.  Kasamatsu nudged him.

“What’s wrong?”

“My family.  I realized I’d have to tell them.” He frowned. “Come with me?”

That was the first time the offer had been made.  Kise’s family wasn’t even at their wedding.

“Sure.”

\--

They, of course, had to wait just as they had to wait to tell their friends.  It was another two months before Kise phoned his parents to set up a dinner invitation.  In that time, they had done the procedure and Yurigasaki-chan was five weeks pregnant.  Kise wanted to throw a party to tell his friends but he seemed to just want to get this over with.  Even so, they had already told Kasamatsu’s family and they had been predictably overjoyed.

He spent too long in the mirror, though, and on his outfit.  Kasamatsu wasn’t sure what to wear so he let Kise pick it out.  His family, apparently, was very judgmental.  He wondered if they even knew they were married.

“I haven’t seen them since I was eighteen,” he explained. “Unless I absolutely had to.  So this’ll be interesting.”

That sounded ominous and Kasamatsu couldn’t help but feel nervous as they rode the train.  It was warming up, at least, and they no longer needed coats.  Still, as they approached the modern apartment building, it felt decidedly chilly.  The elevator opened right to the front door and Kise knocked.  He saw him draw in a deep breath as the door opened.  A woman who looked a lot like Kise stood on the other side.  She had the same golden hair and eyes and even the same style of eyeliner.  Her face was heavily made up and she was wearing an outfit that was a bit too revealing for dinner with her son.

“Ryouta!” she cried and threw her arms around him. “My darling has returned!”

“Hi, mom.” Kise patted the back of her head and looked chagrined.

“Come in.  Come in.”

She beckoned them inside and hadn’t even noticed Kasamatsu yet.

“She’s high,” Kise whispered. “She has a pill problem.”

He remembered what he said about their drinking problems and winced.  Mixing pills and alcohol wasn’t good.

“Who’s this?” she asked.

“Kasamatsu,” he said flatly. “My husband.  You liked our wedding photo on Facebook.”

Kise seemed different, tired.  Like walking into the house put a great weight on his shoulders.

“Oh, right.  Hello, sweetie.”

She kissed Kasamatsu on the cheek, giving him a noseful of perfume with a distinct topnote of sake.  She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back in return, trying not to stare at her cleavage as it was thrust in his face.

“Your father is finishing up getting ready,” she said, “and your sisters will be here soon.  They were both so excited when they heard you were coming over.  You know, you never call or visit anymore.”

“I’m busy.”

“So cold,” she said in a whine.

They stepped into the main room and Kasamatsu took it in.  The entire place smelled of clove cigarettes and wood cleaner.  All over the apartment were blown-up black and white pictures of Kise and his sisters.  It was a little bizarre.  In addition there were picture of who he figured was Kise’s mother as a young beauty queen.  His father was absent in nearly all of the pictures except for one that he figured was their wedding.

“I made eel,” his mother said with a smile, “your favorite.”

Kise’s jaw clenched.  He hated eel.  He bore it a vendetta since he almost choked on a bone one time.

“I love eel,” he said to try and break the tension. “Thank you.”

Truthfully, he didn’t feel one way or the other about eel but it seemed to please Kise’s mom.  The door to the bedroom opened, revealing a tall, sharply handsome man in a suit.

“Ryouta,” he said.

“Father.”

He bowed and Kasamatsu did likewise.  Kise’s father seemed...cold.

“I see you still have that ridiculous earring.”

Kise went rigid but stood and smiled.

“I like it.  How are you, father?”

He shrugged and went over to kiss his wife hello.  As he approached, Kasamatsu felt his eyes on him.  He stood a little straighter.

“Is this him?” he asked.

“Yes!” his mother chirped. “This is Ryouta’s husband.”

His father sniffed imperiously and said, “So you’re still on that ‘gay’ thing?”

Kise bit his lip, hard. “Yes.”

His father sniffed again and went to sit at the table.  Kasamatsu almost got a chill.  Luckily, the door burst open with Kise’s sisters who were just as animated and energetic as Kise usually was.  They cooed over him and stroked his hair and Kise smiled, playing along.  After greetings were out of the way, they all sat at the table.  His mother poured them all generous cups of sake and Kise subtly pushed his away.

“So what’s the occasion?” she asked, batting her eyes. “My only son never comes to visit.”

Kise poked at his eel and rolled his lips in again.

“Well,” he said finally. “Yukiocchi and I are having a baby--using a surrogate.”

He glared daggers at his father, apparently cutting him off before he could say anything.  His sisters began squealing, acting as if they were one entity, and his mother put a hand over her heart.

“Ooh, it’ll be so gorgeous,” she gushed. “Beautiful just as you all were.”

“Well...the baby will be beautiful,” he said, “but Yukiocchi is the father.”

His father snorted. “Figured you’d be the girl.”

Kise’s hand flexed over one of his chopsticks but he kept a smile on his face.

“Considering our family’s  _ history _ , I didn’t want that.”

“Or your crazy brains, right?”

“Ryouji!” his mother cried.

“Exactly,” Kise said flatly.

“Hmph,” his father said.

“It’s true, though,” his oldest sister said, “back in the day, Ryouta had to wear makeup over the scars on his arms where he cut himself.  So embarrassing.”

Kasamatsu knew that.  He had seen Kise using a compression sleeve once or twice in practice and had seen his thighs when they made love much later.  He wouldn’t say it was embarrassing, though, and Kise was staring down at his plate.

“Hot and cold,” his father said, “You’re just emotional.”

“Good eel,” Kasamatsu said abruptly.  He smiled.

Kise’s mother grinned and began babbling about the recipe she used and the heat was off Kise for the moment.  Shortly after dinner, they made their excuses and left.  Kise’s mom handed him a container of the leftover eel and Kise chucked it in a trashcan outside the building.

“I hate them,” he said in a low, flat voice.

Kasamatsu put his arm around him and squeezed him to his side.

“Your family is so good,” he continued, “they were happy.  But mine…”

He sighed and leaned down to press his face into Kasamatsu’s shoulder.  He held him as they walked to the station.  He honestly had had no idea that Kise’s family was that bad.  Even that small, measured amount was tiresome.

“Think about it this way,” he said, “we can tell all our friends now.  You can plan a party.”

Kise’s lips quirked up at the thought of party planning.

“Ooh--yeah!”

\--

Kasamatsu was awoken by one of his least favorite sounds.  It was the sound of Kise doing his put-upon cutesy voice.  It was the phony voice that spoke of his layers of defense mechanisms he had been building since he was thirteen.  Kasamatsu hated it--he loved Kise for Kise, not the persona he put on.  He was also speaking Italian so he figured that he was speaking to someone at his modeling agency.  Even though Kise was in Tokyo, his modeling agency was based out of Italy and, of course, after hearing a few conversations, his husband was nearly fluent.

He couldn’t understand a word he was saying but the tone was putting him off.  He yawned and rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye.

“Ryouta?”

He paused and popped his head in, holding his cell phone to his ear.  He smiled and held up one finger.  He continued speaking for a few more minutes before disconnecting the call.  He came and sat down on the bed.  He was wearing a tight pair of boxer briefs and one of Kasamatsu’s shirts.

“Good morning,” he said and leaned forward to brush his hair back. “Did I wake you?”

“Yeah.  Your fake model voice did.”

Kise pouted exaggeratedly.

“Yukiocchiiiiii…”

“No, I mean it.  You don’t have to do this anymore.”

“Yes, I do.  I’m not getting younger.  I have to keep this up until I figure out what I’m going to do.”

Kasamatsu leaned over and put his arms around Kise’s waist.  He was still lying down so he nuzzled his nose into the small of his back.

“What do you want to do?”

Kise shrugged.

“I dunno.  I want to make as much money as a model I can for us and for the baby and then...I have no idea.  I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.  Even before my sister got me into modeling, my parents were paying people to take pictures of me--of all three of us.”

Kasamatsu nosed the shirt up to place gentle kisses on his back.

“What about basketball?”

Kise snorted a laugh. “I never had any thoughts about going pro and, besides, it’s too late.”

He kissed up Kise’s spine, slowly becoming more awake as he listened to him.  He had no advice for him just yet but he let him vent.

“When I was little, I wanted to be a pilot,” he said, “but I don’t really want it now.”

Kasamatsu got to his shoulder and rest his chin on his shoulder.

“Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.”

Kise turned his face to look at him and he tilted his own so he could properly kiss his mouth.  He still remembered when Kise came to visit him at university, all excitement and smiles.  He didn’t know what he wanted or why he was there--he had thought, maybe, it was to talk about the revenge they had gotten on Team Jabberwock on their behalf.  He thought Kise had been there to brag or wheedle a compliment out of him.  He had had all of these thoughts and suspicions that had flown out of his head when Kise kissed him.

Now he was used to Kise’s kisses but he didn’t savor them any less.  He turned Kise to face him so he could kiss him more easily.  Kise giggled a bit.

“Trying to shut me up?” he asked.

“No.” Kasamatsu pressed their foreheads together.

Kise gave a breathy little laugh and kissed him again.  He threaded his fingers in his hair, feeling the silken strands of gold run between them.

“You have nasty morning breath, Yukiocchi,” Kise whispered with a grin.

A long time ago, he would have punished Kise for that--smacking him or kicking him--but he had left that behind years ago, before they even started dating.  Instead he curled his lip in the face of his grinning smugness.

“So cruel.”

Kise kissed the tip of his nose and broke away.

“Go brush your teeth.  I’m going to see when the others’ planes are coming in for the party.”

It had taken some planning but Kise had bounced back from dinner at his parents’ and got into planning a baby shower for Yurigasaki-chan.  He had knack for it--he had, after all, planned almost all of their wedding utilizing the wedding planners at Disney only to make it a reality.

He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and when he came out, Kise was checking his messages.

“Oh wow,” Kise said, widening his eyes at the screen. “Listen to this: ‘I was unsure if your apartment could hold all of us so I rented out a restaurant.  Here’s the address.  I took the liberty of already informing the others.’”

Kasamatsu shook his head, knowing exactly who that text was from.

“Akashi needs a hobby.”

“He has hobbies,” Kise replied, “Horseback riding, shogi, and eating Furihatacchi out!”

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Please stop.”

“He just likes taking care of us.  Anyway, I’m glad.  Since so many people RSVP’d I was worried about fitting them all here anyway.”

He smiled as he said it.  Kasamatsu knew that Kise always feared that his friends secretly hated him back in high school.

“Have you thought of names, by the way?” Kise asked.

Kasamatsu had been heading back into the bathroom to change and paused.

“Names?  Like, for the baby?”

“Mhmm.”

He honestly hadn’t and Yurigasaki-chan’s second trimester had crept up on them.  Now they were heading into the third and he hadn’t given a thought towards names.

“Have you?”

“A little.”

“Oh…”

Kise put his hands on his hips and sighed.

“You haven’t thought of any, have you?”

“Well…”

Before he could chastise him further, Kise’s phone went off and he went back to checking his messages.  He took this opportunity to sneak into the bathroom and finish getting ready.  Before he shut the door, he heard Kise laugh.

“What?”

“Yurigasaki-chan just mailed me.  It says, ‘this guy says he went to middle school with you and changed the location of the party.  Is this real or am I going to be murdered?’”

Kasamatsu made a slightly snorting laugh sound and shook his head.

\--

The restaurant Akashi rented out had a room for parties but he had taken the liberty of renting the entire establishment “for noise.”  They were, of course, already there.  Furihata waved to them with the hand that wasn’t supporting Kyou.  The baby was more alert than he was a few months ago and was playing with the collar of Furihata’s shirt.

“Hi,” he said and gently removed his son’s little fists from his collar.

Kise did his requisite bouncing and squealing--it was an act but one Kasamatsu found far cuter and more endearing than his phony voice.

“Kyou’s gotten  _ so big _ !” he enthused.

Furihata smiled proudly. “He’s starting to say words and he can clap.”

Kyou seemed to understand and held one of his hand out and slapped the other one to it.  Akashi and Furihata both beamed and Kasamatsu wondered if he would be as easily impressed when  _ their _ child was born.

“You look good,” Kise continued. “Still all cute and a little chubby.”

To that, he flushed and said, “That’s Sei’s fault.  He keeps spoiling me with dinners.”

Akashi put an arm around his shoulder and shrugged innocently as he gave Kyou his finger to hold.

“We didn’t want to leave Kyou with a nanny at first but then we wanted to go out again and figured dinners just a few hours away from him when trips weren’t.”

Kasamatsu shook his head.  He had heard from Kise that Akashi used to take Furihata on countless trips and vacations simply because he  _ could _ .  Not that he was jealous of their money or anything.

“Well, it suits you,” Kise assured him with a dimpled smile that made Furihata blush all over again.

“When are the others getting here?” Kasamatsu asked.

Akashi glanced at the door and said, “Soon, I hope.  They all replied that they got the message I sent.”

Yurigasaki-chan and her girlfriend arrived next and the others came shortly afterwards.  Kise was, of course, squealing with his ex-teammates about something and Kasamatsu sat awkwardly by the pile of presents.

“Yukio, hey.”

An arm slid around his shoulders and Kasamatsu turned with a smile.  He hadn’t seen Moriyama in months, which was shameful for him as a best friend.

“Hey,” he said and put an arm around him to pull him into an awkward, sideways hug. “Glad you came.”

“We all did--Kaijo’s pride, right?” He smiled and tipped his head to the side.

He couldn’t help but smile.  Even if he had left the others behind when he retired from the team, he and Moriyama had gone to university together.  He had been his best man at his wedding.

“You aren’t here to try and pick girls up, right?” he asked.

Moriyama glanced sideways at Momoi who was excitedly talking to Kise about something and shook his head.  Kasamatsu followed his gaze and elbowed him.

“What did I just say, Yoshi?”

He laughed. “No, it’s--we used to have a thing but it’s over.”

Kasamatsu scrutinized him.  He hadn’t known that and Momoi was one of Kise’s best friends.

“It was just a fling,” he explained. “Sex.  No big deal.”

To Kasamatsu, that seemed like a big deal but Moriyama always had far more open views on sex and romance than he did.

“I’m sort of seeing someone now, anyhow.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. “What’s her name?”

“His name,” he corrected.

That was a surprise.  Moriyama had been the last person in his friend’s group who held onto their heterosexuality.

“What?” he asked and flicked Kasamatsu’s nose. “I’ve been with guys before.  I used to fuck Izuki before he ended up with that kid with the fang.”

“What?  When?” He shook his head and sighed. “And don’t use that language at a baby shower.”

“He went to our school,” he continued, ignoring him. “We had Orgo together and would hook up after class.”

Moriyama made his fingers into a V and put his hand up to his mouth before sticking his tongue out between them.  Kasamatsu shoved him.

“Stop being lewd.  And who is it?”

Moriyama flicked some silky hair from his eyes and grinned. “Remember that angry blond from Shutoku when we were third years?”

“You’re fucking Miyaji?  The pineapple kid?”

“Language,” he said, clucking his tongue. “And yep.  And before you ask: yes, his come always tastes good.”

“Wasn’t going to ask but thanks, I guess.”

Kasamatsu shook his head.  Being mildly disgusted by Moriyama was something else he’d missed.  He and Kise really had been keeping to themselves the past few months.  Together, still with their arms around each other, they walked towards the rest of the party.

“So a baby,” he said with a smile, “I’m really happy for you, Yukio.  Seriously.”

“Thanks.”

“Okay--so let me tell you about Miyaji’s technique--”

“ _ No. _ ”

\--

When Kasamatsu saw babies born in dramas on television, it was always quick cuts of screaming and doctors yelling to “push.”  The entire ordeal was over in a few minutes.  He logically knew that childbirth took much longer than that but he wasn’t really clear on how  _ much _ longer.  Worse, Kise was away at shoot, leaving him in the room with Yurigasaki-chan and her girlfriend.  His family was in the waiting room but Kise’s was nowhere to be seen.  As many issues as he had with them, he knew that his husband was a little let down that they hadn’t reached out to him since the dinner.  He wouldn’t ever try to understand his relationship with them but he hoped one day that Kise would open up more about it.

Then again, he was thinking about this on two hours of sleep.  He had gotten the call from Hotaru, her girlfriend, at eleven at night that she was going into labor.  It was now almost seven in the morning and he was really feeling it.  He kept trying to text Kise about the updates but there was little to say.

He slumped in the chair in the room she was in.  Thanks to Kise, Yurigasaki-chan had been given a private room with its own bathroom and a pullout couch.  Kasamatsu had been hoping to sleep but had found himself far too anxious.  Hotaru sat next to him, fiddling with the visitor’s pass stuck to her shirt.

“This’ll be you soon?” he asked.  He found it only slightly easier to talk to the two of them after getting to know them.

“I dunno,” she replied.  If Yurigasaki was bouncy and excitable then Hotaru was her opposite. “We’ll definitely wait afterwards.  Pregnancy is a lot.”

Her eyes were wide and worried.

“And you aren’t pregnant,” Yurigasaki said from the bed. “Imagine how I feel.”

She laughed a little but it shuddered into another contraction.  After that, things began to accelerate.  The doctor came in and Kasamatsu felt his head spin.  All of this waiting and now everything happened at once.  One moment, he was receiving a frantic “I’m on my way!” text from Kise and the next the doctor was yelling that the baby was crowning.

Maybe it was sleep deprivation but Kasamatsu felt like he went from hearing that to holding his baby daughter in his arms.  She had come out with a healthy wail but was now asleep.  Kasamatsu cradled her gently, smiling down and feeling tears prick his eyes.  He looked up at Yurigasaki-chan and smiled.

“Thank you.  Thank you so, so much.  This means everything.”

Breathlessly, exhausted, she laughed. “I think that’s the most you’ve been able to say to me Kasamatsu-kun.”

The door to the hospital room opened carefully revealing Kise.  He still had makeup from his shoot on and his hair was immaculately styled.

“She’s here,” he said through his tears.

Kise came up to them and tears welled up in his eyes.

“She’s beautiful.”

He dissolved into a puddle of sobs and Kasamatsu caught him with the arm that wasn’t cradling the baby.  He pulled Kise close to him and rested his head on his shoulder.  This was his whole world, he thought.  Kise and their daughter.  He felt like nothing else mattered.  This was everything.

\--

“What if I become a fashion designer?” Kise asked.

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes and continued spooning food into Himeko’s mouth.  She smiled around the spoon as she ate the mush.

“What?” he asked with a pout.

“It’s something new every week,” he said. “Wedding planner, fashion designer, pilot, firefighter…”

Kise slipped into the chair next to him and dramatically draped himself across Kasamatsu.

“I just don’t know what to do,” he said. “I have to start planning as my modeling work dries up.”

“Be a backup singer at the studio,” he suggested.

Kise wrinkled his nose. “I am too good to be a backup singer!”

Kasamatsu fixed him with a look and Himeko imitated it.  She really did look like him, he thought.  She had fistfuls of curly black hair and thick eyebrows that looked too serious on such a young face.  She had a pair of yellow-gold eyes, though, that made Kise immensely happy.

“Ugh, you’re both looking at me with that face,” Kise said, covering his.

Kasamatsu gently pulled his hands down and kissed him.

“You’ll figure it out,” he said. “I still think party planner is your best bet.”

Himeko gurgled a bit in agreement.

“But I only like planning parties for us,” he whined, “Not other people.”

He shook his head and resumed feeding Himeko her mush.  Kise dropped his dramatics for the moment and put his arms around his shoulders.  He put his chin on Kasamatsu’s shoulder and hummed happily as he looked from him to their daughter.

“We have a playdate with Kyou today,” he said. “And the others are  _ talking _ .  Soon there’ll be tons of babies.”

He didn’t mention how his parents had yet to meet Himeko or even had contacted him since their dinner.  That was something they were just going to have to live with.

“Kyou is going to be bored since Himeko’s barely even crawling.”

Kise shrugged. “But it’s a playdate!  Her first one.  And Akashicchi rented out the whole park!”

“Of course he did.”

Kise turned and kissed the corner of his jaw.

“I’m so happy,” he whispered. “Me, you, and our beautiful little girl.”

“Mhmm.”

His husband stayed quiet for a moment and Kasamatsu was able to feed Himeko in peace.

“Can we have another one?”

He nearly dropped the spoon.  Himeko seemed to understand it and scrunched up her face.

“Maybe...let’s hold off on that, Ryouta.”

“Aw, you’re no fun, Yukiocchi.”


End file.
